He has been there for around about the same amount of time as Russel.
Now i like Russel, and I like Moffat.
But at times i really hated Russel, and I really can hate Moffat !
I am noticing that i started to really wish Russel away towards the end of his time at the show, the same way i am wishing Moffat away now.

There is a huge amount of negativity towards Moffat amongst the fans ALSO there are alot of fans who like him aswell.
Should he hand series 9 to someone else?

just to throw in my 10 cents, i would like him to go.
purely because i love capaldi and jenna, yet i felt the writing really let them both down this season, though it was not as bad as series 7B!!

After series 9 I would like to see what someone else could do with Doctor Who. I think it would be good for the show to have a shake up after 6 years of Steven Moffat, which is a good run for a writer and showrunner.

Yes. He should've left with Matt Smith and given a new producer the chance of shaking the show up with Capaldi. Moffat's ideas are stale. His stuff is either recycled from his own ideas or recycled from other people's ideas.

He can't hand Series 9 to somebody else.

But he should hand Series 10 over to somebody else, if somebody else is capable and willing. At the moment, somebody needs to step up. I would still rather watch Moffat Who then no Who.

I think Moffatt has run out of steam. A good writer, but not necessarily a good show-runner. I think that the series needs some new ideas and an injection of someone elses take on the Doctor. Moffatt was a good writer for Matt Smith's Doctor, but I just don't think he's managed to bring the best out of Capaldi yet. I'm not sure that he knows what to do with him.

Why does the show need a lead writer? Classic Who was producer-led.

I'd like to see him go fairly soon, not really because I think he's doing a particularly bad job (on the contrary, I think he got his act together with Series 8), but because I think the show needs new blood fairly regularly to stop it going stale.

Ideally, I'd like to see someone new take over after Series 9, but whether this will actually happen or not is another question entirely.

The grass isn't always greener.

Where are the writers that are better than Steven Moffat?

Some people either don't realize or forget: Doctor Who can actually be a bad show.

Depends on what you mean by "Go"?
If you mean step down as show-runner... perhaps.
If you mean leave the show entirely... NO WAY!
Without Moffat, Series 8 wouldn't have the bold introduction that was 'Deep Breath', the wonderfully atmospheric and downright creepy 'Listen', or the tense twister that was 'Dark Water'.

Don't get the hate? It hasn't been the best written series, however Moffat's episodes have been some of the most enjoyable. Would like to Capaldi given better scripts, don't want to see Moffat go just yet,

There are many things that annoy me about the writing in the show, the lack of proper follow through on ideas, the easy get out ot "time can be rewritten" when he's painted himself into a corner (or worse still ignoring of the fact).
The insistance on messing about with central concepts of the show but for no good reason (new daleks, inserting regenerations etc), repeating the same ideas over and over again...

The writing has always been frustrating but this last series was poor with on so many levels. The few great episodes still repeated ideas as an easy ending or rushed the ending. Death in Paradise made no sense at all.

Steven Moffat is not the clever writer everyone says (the it's too complicated vs just pay attention argument doesn't work... his ideas are half formed and don't make sense). He is a good writer but he needs direction. Being the showrunner he doesn't get the direction he needs. I'd be happy to see him keep on writing scripts but we need a new show runner now. He's done 4 series it's time for someone else to have a go (even the greatest show runner can't stay forever).

On the plus side he is also reponsible for some great decisions. Matt Smith, Amy and Rory. I like River and Clara has been great this year. Also Peter Capladi as the Doctor was a master stroke.

I just feel there needs to be someone above him to help him.

Series 9 should be his last and he should let someone new with fresh ideas take the helm.

I too wish that he had left with Matt Smith as I think Capaldi could have been so much better than he has been.

I live in hope that Series 9 will be Moffat's last but I doubt it somehow.

I voted no. Can't quite believe it. But I really enjoyed season 8. Maybe its the Minchin effect

I think he *will* go after Series 9. Five series is Letts territory and I'm sure he will think thats enough. I've personally enjoyed his era, but it's the nature of the show that actors, producers, showrunners move on. (Stating the bleedin' obvious-mode)

So didn't vote as that wasn't the question.

I don't mind whether he stays or goes, but I hope Capaldi's tenure doesn't depend on the presence or otherwise of Moff, as I want him to be the Doctor forever

He's had a good run at it, time for some fresh ideas imho...

As a writer, no. As the showrunner, yes.

I've always been on the Moffat's side because I think that always the best writer we have should be a showrunner. So Moffat should stay as long as we do not find a replacement, someone who is better than him. Although he disappointed me with this gender change regeneration and it can be a sign that he ran out of sci-fi ideas and started creating ideological episodes based on political correctness, which is very bad for the show. So, we should start thinking of the replacement but first we need to find this replacement if we don't want someone who is worse than Moffat to be a showrunner (and most writers are not as good writters as Moffat is).

Anyway, it all depends who would be the next showrunner. For example, Jamie Mathieson has written two fantastic episodes in the last season so he could be a good candidate for the next showrunner. Also, Neil Cross, Paul Cornell and Toby Whithouse deffinitely do have a potential, although I am not sure would they be better than Moffat. Maybe they should make some 'coalition' with two showrunners.

Anyway, regardless of whether Moffat is leaving or not, he should deffinitely stay as a writter. His immagination can still be very useful. His episodes were highlight of the RTD era.

Of his own accord and when the BBC have found a suitable successor - absolutely.

Because certain fans want him gone and think it's their right to decide how the show should be ran etc - definitely not.

I think it's likely he will depart after Series 9/Christmas 2015 though.

I voted "Yes" because there wasn't a "after another series" option. He is a fabulous writer when he wants to be and yet he's a clumsy writer too. He is also slightly egotistic, but that doesn't mean he's damaging the show. It does however mean that he has sowed seeds in the show that could, if he continues, damage the show long term. Just my opinion of course, but I would like him to stay on for series 9 as I would like him to settle in writing for Capaldi. Moffat knows the style of Doctor he wants Capaldi to be so for that reason, it wouldn't be right if he left at this current time.

I don't get the Moffat hate either. As usual, it's the minority that seem to shout the loudest - I'd like to see the complaining cretins do a better job.

Moffat haters: Don't like being called cretins? If you can't take it, then don't dish it out.

He's had his time now. Time for a new man or WOMAN to take over & the show into a new direction - BUT NOT A FEMALE DOCTOR.

I think Capaldi will outstay Moffat so, thankfully, Moffat's plans for a female Doctor will hopefully come to nothing.

I'll have Series 9 with him, and regardless of it's quality I think it'll be a good time for him to wrap up...either end on a high, or prove once and for all that he's exhausted himself.

I've enjoyed Series 8 mostly, and it was his strongest series, but the finale let me down immensely because of some of the regular tropes he constantly employs, and it was definitely lacking a certain refreshed energy that I felt when he started...an energy that Series 5 definitely had.

Series 10 should be the right sort of time to let someone else have a go... by all means keep Moffat on as a writer for the series but under someone else's watch.

As for a female Doctor, I strongly suspect his successor whoever it may be will have a similar sort of opinion on the matter. So long as they cast the right actor in the role, rather than specifically casting a woman in the role I'll be fine with it - Michelle Gomez has proved a hit as a female Master after all.

I voted NO on the basis of the question being in regards to Series 9... he's already doing it, and Death in Heaven was not a 'final episode' by anyone's measure. But give him a final 12 or 13 episodes next year, see if he can go out on a high and then get someone new in (my preference being Toby Whithouse, or someone entirely new).